Dems go local to fight U.S. Chamber

Senate Democrats are putting the “all politics is local” mantra to the ultimate test as they bid to undercut the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a handful of elections that could determine control of the Senate.

Democrats are engaged in an aggressive push to woo local and state chambers of commerce — especially in toss-up Senate races like those in Missouri, Montana and Virginia — in an effort to blunt the impact of the Republican-friendly U.S. Chamber’s $50 million national political campaign this cycle.

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“I think most local chambers have no idea all the political stuff that the national chamber does,” said Alaska Sen. Mark Begich , chairman of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. “The millions they spend beating down on people — I think that’s a real divide. When I go to my local chamber, they have no interest in that.”

The strategy is based on the idea that home-state senators know their local businesses better and understand the parochial issues, and they’re actually the ones who attend city and county chamber of commerce events. So Democrats are trying to portray the U.S. Chamber as a Goliath-like Washington influence peddler looking to buy its way into state elections.

Endangered Democrats on the campaign trail are seeking to bolster their ties with local groups that can offer cover when the Big Business lobby carpet-bombs their states with negative ads. And on Capitol Hill, Democrats are summoning local business executives for private meetings and conference calls in an under-the-radar campaign to build trust with the influential local groups, some of which are being solicited by the U.S. Chamber to endorse in federal races for the first time.

In mid-March, Begich’s committee called the heads of 11 local chambers of commerce to Capitol Hill, including representatives from Missouri, New Jersey, Minnesota, Delaware and Rhode Island — all states where Democratic senators are facing reelection. Similar meetings and conference calls with local groups have occurred several times this year.

“Not always does the national chamber speak for the local chambers,” Begich said in an interview. “What happens here, I’ve learned is that some of these associations, they think they represent their constituency, but then when you go back home like I do, they sometimes have a different opinion. I’d rather talk to the people, not with paid lobbyists.”

Begich says small firms are often shocked that senators are soliciting the thoughts of local businesses, including car dealers and local real estate groups.